steinbeegeb



June 9i 1925il A' 1,540,814

- G. STEINBEQGER ET AL AUTOMATIC WELL AND PIPE LINE DRIP Filed March 1v, 1924 Patented June 9, 1925.

g UNITED vsTAfrizs PATENToFFlCE.

GEORGE STEINBERG'ER. OF ClfER/RYVALE, AND PAUL E. S'lEINBE-RGER, 0F SYCAIVORE,

KANSAS.

AUTOMATIC WELL AND rien-Linn DRIP.

Application filed March 1'?, 1924. Serial No. 699,941.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, Gnoncn STEINBER- cicn and PAUL E. STnrNBnnenn, citizens of the United States, and residents ot Cherryvale, in the county of Montgomery, State of Kansas, and, Sycamore, in the county of Montgomery and State of Kansas, respectively, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Automatic Well and Pipe- Line Drips, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Our invention relates to means for separating oil or water from the products of gas wells and the like, and has for its object to provide a simple and inexpensive appara` tus which may be employed at the well or at any point in the gas pipeline, and which will permit the separation of the liquid without wastage ogas.

Another object ot the invention resides in the use of a novel form of gravity and float operated valve which is extremely sensit-ive.

A further object of the invention is the provision of resilient means for supporting the float so as to prevent a strain on the valve in the event that' theV weight ot the float should become greater than normal, due to leakageor the absorption of water or other liquid. y

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the main drip with our automatic drip connected therewith.

Figure 2 is a vertical ,section through the automatic drip and-float. i

Figures 3 and 4 are side and top views, respectively, of the valve. f

Figure 5 is a vertical section through the valve, and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary section through the automatic drip taken at right angles to Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, the numeral 1 indicates the main drip tank into which the productsfrom the gas well or other source are conducted through the opening 2; the opening 3 being provided for the escape of the gas. Connected to the` bottom of the main drip tank is a pipe 4 which provided with a discharge conduit 6 adjacent its lower end. p

` -Located at the bottoml ot the tank 5 and' in the conduit G'is a'valve which comprises a body. `member, 7 and a valve. member 8 pivoted thereto, theV `pivotbeing,indicated bynu`1neral9. The valvemember7 is'pro vided with a `passage 10` and has a ground valve seat 11 formed on its inner end. The inner portion of the body member 7 is formed with the overhanging lug 12 for the reception of t-he hinge pintle 9, and is also provided with parallel side walls 13.

The valve member 8 is pivoted to the body member 7 rthrough the medium of the pintle 9, and is formed with the spaced parallel flanges 14, between which is received the lug 12 and the parallel walls of the body member. A valve proper 15 is integrally formed on the member 8 between the flanges 14 and is ground to fit tlfe ground valve seat 11.

`By this construction of the WallsV 13 and flanges 14 rit is obvious that the valve 15 will always be guided to its seat y11.

A iloat 16 is provided for automatically opening the valve 15 `from time to time; the float being connected to the valve member 8 by means of the rod 17. In order that no strain may be placed on the valve should the oat leak, or absorb water in the case of a wooden float, we haveprovided a coil spring 18 which is 'attached to the inner walls of the tank 5 justbelow the valve member 8. Itwill be readily understood that in the event that the Weight of the float should be increased for any -reason'th'e strain` on the valve parts will be relieved byY the spring 18.

ln'operation the products ot the gas well are received in the tank 1, the gas escaping through the opening 3 and the liquid passing down through pipe l into the automatic drip tank. When the liquidV in the tank 5 reachesV a predetermined level the float will rise to Open the valve 15 and permit a portion of the liquid to escape or be lorced out by the gas pressure. When the level of `the liquid is lowered to its normal position the valve Will again close and shut oil further discharge from the tank.`

lVliile the automatic drip has been described solely in connection with oil wells, it is obvious that the apparatus may be placed in any gas pipeline in which it is desired to separate the liquid from the gas Without the escape of the latter'.v

From the foregoing description it will be seen that We have provided a simple and inexpensive apparatus for attachmentto pipelines which may be readily placed in operation and one in Which the valve is very responsive to the changes in liquid levels in the tank. ,Y In accordance with the patent statutes, We have described what ive now believe to be the best embodiment of the invention, but We do not wish to be understood thereby as limiting ourselves orthle scope of the invention, as many changes and modiiications may be'ina'de WithoutV departingfroin the spirit .of the invention; all such We aim to include inthe scope of the appended claims.

. a float attached to said extension, and a coil spring attached to the opposite Walls on the interior of the tank and extending beneath said float for supporting the same under certain conditions.

2. An automatic drip for gas Wells and the like, including a tank, inlet and outlet conduits connected to the top and bottom of the tank respectively, a body member provided with a ground valveseat. attached to said outlet conduit and including liat paralle] outer Walls, a one-piece valve member pivoted to said body member above the seat thereof and comprising spaced aarallel flanges for cooperation with the iat parallel outer Walls of the body member, a valve formed on said valve member between said parallel flanges and below said pivot point, said valve being formed with a ground surface` vfor cooperation with said ground valve seat, and a float for controlling said va ve.

GEORGE srnrnnncna. 1 PAUL E. STEINBERGER. 

